1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles which are adapted to contain body exudates. More particularly, the present invention relates disposable absorbent articles which have a garment-like appearance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional disposable absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, have typically included a bodyside liner an outer cover, and an absorbent core disposed between the outer cover and the bodyside liner. Typically, the outer covers of such conventional absorbent articles have been constructed from a generally rectangular sheet of material which has had portions of its side margins removed. Thus, the end margins of the sheet of material provide the waist opening region of the absorbent article while the partially removed side margins provide the leg opening regions of the absorbent article. The outer covers of such absorbent articles have also been constructed with various types of elasticized portions at the waist and leg opening regions. Such elasticized portions have been used to reduce the leakage of body exudates from the absorbent article. The elasticized portions of the outer cover have also been used to improve the appearance and fit of the absorbent article about the wearer. For example, conventional disposable absorbent articles have generally utilized outer covers which have elastic strands positioned at the leg and waist opening regions to gather the outer cover and absorbent article to hold it against the body of the wearer.
However, conventional disposable absorbent articles which include outer covers as described above have exhibited several shortcomings. For example, it has been difficult to conform conventional absorbent articles and, in particular, the absorbent cores of such articles to the body of the wearer. Typically, the absorbent core on such conventional absorbent articles has been bonded to or immobilized between the outer cover and the bodyside liner. Consequently, it has been difficult to control the shape of the absorbent article to maintain an aesthetically pleasing appearance during use. In an attempt to better gather the absorbent core and the absorbent article, the waist and leg opening regions of conventional absorbent articles have included elastics which apply high contracting or gathering forces on the absorbent article. However, such high forces have undesirably resulted in irritation and red marking of the skin of the wearer. The high forces have also resulted in an undesirable level of bunching of the absorbent article especially in the crotch region.
To obtain a better fit and appearance about different sized wearers, it also has been required to provide conventional disposable absorbent articles in many different sizes. For example, it has been required to provide conventional disposable diapers in as many as 3-8 different sizes to accommodate different sized infants. As a result, the costs of manufacturing and marketing such articles has been undesirably high.
Despite the attempts to develop more aesthetically pleasing and improved disposable absorbent articles, there remains the need for disposable absorbent articles which contain body exudates while providing an optimum fit about the wearer and maintaining a pleasing appearance. Moreover, there is a need for a disposable absorbent article which has a garment-like appearance and which can be easily secured about and removed from the waist of a wearer.
In response to the difficulties and problems discussed above, a new disposable absorbent article which has a garment-like appearance has been discovered. In one aspect, the present invention concerns an outer cover which is adapted for use in a disposable absorbent article. The outer cover comprises two individual side panels. An edge of one side panel is connected to an edge of the opposite side panel to provide a seam which extends along a longitudinal centerline of the outer cover. Each of said side panels defines a pair of opposed waist regions which are releasably engageable together to define a leg opening in the outer cover. In a particular aspect, the seam extends substantially continuously along the entire length of the outer cover. The outer cover may also include a pair of concealment cuffs which are located along the side regions of the outer cover.
In another aspect, the present invention concerns a disposable absorbent article which defines a first side portion, a second side portion, and a longitudinal centerline between the side portions. The absorbent article comprises an outer cover and an absorbent insert which is connected to the outer cover. The outer cover defines a length, a pair of laterally opposed side regions, a pair of longitudinally opposed waist regions, and a crotch region which extends between and connects the waist regions. The outer cover comprises a first side panel which is located in the first side portion of the absorbent article and a second side panel which is located in the second side portion of the absorbent article. An edge of the first side panel is connected to an edge of the second side panel to provide a seam which extends along the longitudinal centerline between the side portions of the absorbent article. The opposite waist regions on each side panel are releasably engageable together to define a pair of leg openings in the outer cover.
In still another aspect, the present invention concerns a disposable absorbent article which defines a first side portion, a second side portion, and a longitudinal centerline between the side portions. The absorbent article comprises an outer cover which includes two individual side panels which are connected together to provide a seam which extends along the longitudinal centerline of the absorbent article. The absorbent article further comprises an absorbent insert which is connected to the outer cover. The absorbent insert defines a pair of longitudinally opposed end margins and a pair of laterally opposed side margins and includes a bodyside liner, a backsheet which is connected to the bodyside liner in a superposed relation, and an absorbent core which is located between the bodyside liner and the backsheet. In a particular aspect, the end margins of the absorbent insert are connected to the outer cover and the absorbent insert remains unconnected from the outer cover between the end margins. The absorbent core may include at least two independent, longitudinally extending absorbent strips. The absorbent article may also include a pair of longitudinally extending containment flaps which are located on the side margins of the absorbent insert.
In yet another aspect, the present invention concerns a method of making a disposable absorbent article which defines a first side portion, a second side portion, and a longitudinal centerline between said side portions. The method comprises: (a) cutting a continuously moving web of material into a first side panel and a second side panel; (b) bonding an edge of the first side panel to an edge of the second side panel along a seam to provide an outer cover for the disposable absorbent article wherein said seam extends along the longitudinal centerline of the absorbent article; and (c) attaching an absorbent insert which includes a pair of longitudinally opposed end margins and a pair of laterally opposed side margins to the outer cover.
The present invention advantageously provides a disposable absorbent article which has a garment-like appearance and refastenable side seams which allow the article to be easily secured about and removed from the waist of the wearer. The disposable absorbent article of the different aspects of the present invention also achieves a good fit while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance when compared to conventional absorbent articles which gather and bunch in the crotch region. Moreover, the disposable absorbent article of the present invention may also provide improved containment of body exudates within the absorbent area of the article by allowing the absorbent core to remain unattached from the outer cover in at least the crotch region of the article.